Method of coring, dividing, and condensing ingots of cruciform crosssection



I. URBANIAK 2,115,893 N ING, AND CONDENSING CROSS-SECTION 3 Sheets-Sheet I May 3, 1938.

METHOD OF CORI G, DIVID INGOTS OF CRUCIFORM Filed Nov. 11, 1935 l. URBA K 2,115893 G,v DIVIDING, AND C NDENSING IF'ORM CROSS-SEC ION e ov. 11, 1935 3511 t Sh t 2 NlA CORID F'il d METHOD OF INGOTS May 3, 1938.

May 3, 1938.

I. URBANIAK 2,115,8Q3 METHOD OF CORING, DIVIDING, AND CONDENSING INGQTS OF CRUCIFORM CROSS-SECTION Filed Nov. 11, 1935 Kg. 6. L 254* 25 55 3 Sheets-Sheet Z3 Fig. :11. v Fig 12.

Patented May 3, 1938 UNlTED STATES METHOD OF CORING, D'IVIDING, AND CON- DENSING INGOTS OF CRUCIFORFM CROSS- SECTION Ignatz Urbaniak,

Hindenburg, Oberschlesien, Germany Application November 11, 1935 Serial No. 49,232 In Germany November 20, 1934 Claims.

For the removal of the defective core portion formed by shrinkage in metal and steel ingots, it is well known to divide the ingot along the core and to remove the defective parts by means 5 of a suitable cutting tool.

It has also been proposed to give the ingot a cruciform cross-section, in which case the wings alone are cut away for use, the defective core portion being discarded. This method is not economical, since it does not allow all the usable material to be divided off from the defective core.

The object of the present invention is to obtain an economic method of simultaneously coring, dividing and condensing ingots of cruciform cross-section, and the invention consists essentially in enclosing the ingot, in hot condition immediately after casting, between dies of a crosssection responding to but somewhat larger than that of the ingot, driving longitudinally through the ingot a punch of a cross-section equal to the cross-sectional area bounded by the wing portions of the dies, applying counter pressure to the opposite end of the ingot, and allowing the core portion of the ingot to be extruded and discharged by the punch.

The ingot is cast in known manner in cruciform cross-section and placed, immediately after the surface has solidified, between dies in a hydraulic or like press. The assembled die structure is also of cruciform cross-section but somewhat larger than that of the ingot, so that the latter will have a certain amount of free play. Thereupon a punch of the cross-section substantially equal to the cross-sectional area bounded by the wings of the die structure, is driven through the ingot from end to end. The effect of this punching of the hot ingot is in the first place to force the metal into the wings of the die structure so as to fill the latter completely with condensed metal, while the defective core is on its part condensed in the direction of the punch movement. During this punching the ingot is supported by a counter punch which is subse quently withdrawn to leave a clear space for the 5 discharge of the extruded core. The shrinkage cone of the core is situated principally at one end of the ingot, and the punch is introduced from the opposite end thereof, so that the usable metal this end, instead of being carried away with the punch, is displaced towards the Wings of the dies. A considerable saving of usable metal will thus be effected. The wings of the core will at the same time be shaped in con formity with the die structure and condensed.

Further advantages of the method consist in that the wings of the ingot will be severed from one another and from the core simultaneously with the extrusion of the latter, and that no other than the smelting heat is required in the process. Moreover, since the ingot is much warmer in 5 the interior than at the outside, the extrusion of the core will be greatly facilitated. The finished ingot sections will, after separation from one another and from the core, be hot enough for further treatment in a rolling mill or the like. 10

Another feature of the invention consists in that the Wings of the ingot are rounded 01f at the edges and corners so as to be capable of a more uniform distribution of the heat, this being favourable for the reshaping of the ingot between 15 the dies. The latter may be utilized for compressing the ingot to some extent before the insertion'of the punch which completes the compression and the condensation of the metal. The shrinkage cone in the core will also be com- 20 pressed, so that defective material will be positively excluded from the separated wing sections. The apparatus required for carrying out the method consists preferably of a hydraulic press, but a mechanically or electrically operated press 25 will serve the same purpose. The two-part die structure of the press has, when assembled, the same cruciform cross-section as the ingots and is provided at the ends with openings which admit the punch and the extruded core and which have 30 a diameter equal to that of the extruded core. At both ends of the die structure additional presses are arranged, one for operating the driving punch and the other for holding a counter punch. The latter is initially employed for clos- 35.

ing the opening of the die structure and is retracted for the discharge of the extruded core. The vertically disposed wings of the dies are confined in vertical direction by press members which are independently movable for the ejection 40 of the ingot sections from the dies.

The salient internal corners of the dies are subjected'to heavy wear and are therefore reinforced with steel bars of square or other suitable cross-section and which are preferably exchangeable.

One feature of the invention consists in the particular construction of the punch which serves for driving the metal into the wings of the die structure as well as for extruding the core from 50 the ingot. The punch has a head comprising a body portion preferably of square cross-section which is equal to the cross-sectional area between the wings of the die structure, so that it will separate the wings of the ingot-from one another 55 and from the core. On this body portion there is a conical nose piece which has a rounded tip and which merges into the body portion with outward curvatures. This nose piece facilitates the insertion of the punch into the ingot and the driving of the metal into the wings of the die structure. At the opposite end of the body portion there is a truncated, pyramidal tail piece by means of which the head is inserted in a correspondingly shaped socket in the operating plung er. The plunger is provided with longitudinal grooves for engagement with guide members adapted to prevent rotary displacement of plunger and punch.

The pyramidal tail piece of the punch head allows the latter to leave the plunger and to be discharged together with the extruded core portion. Obviously the punch head will be strongly heated during its passage through the incandescent ingot which may have a length of 2 m. or more. The head must therefore be exchanged after each operation for one that has been cooled. This exchange is facilitated by the pyramidal shape of the tail piece which allows the head to be discharged together with the extruded material. To ensure a removal of the head from the plunger in case it should stick, the plunger is made hollow for the reception of a rod by means of which the head can be ejected. The plunger is of smaller diameter than the punch head, so that it will move through the ingot without friction.

Further novel features of the invention will be found in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the hydraulic press showing the die structure in section,

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the press.

Figs. 3 and 3a are sectional views at right angles to each other of the ingot,

Figs. 4 and 4a are sectional views at right angles to each other of the dies and of the precompressed ingot,

Figs. 5 and 5a are sectional views at right angles to each other of dies and ingot showing the position of the elements just before the ejection of the core,

Fig. ,6 is an enlarged sectional View of the punch,

Fig. 7 is an end view of the punch,

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the extruded core,

Figs. 10 and 10a represent a cross-section and a side elevation respectively of the ingot just before the ejection of the core,

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the wing sections of the ingot after the extrusion of the core, and v Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the finished and separated wing sections.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the two coaxial parts and la of a hydraulic press are controlled, one by plungers 8, 9 and in working in cylinders 2, 8 and 4 respectively, and the other by plungers ll, l2 and I3 working in cylinders 5, 6 and 1 respectively. Two co-operating dies 20 and 2| are secured to the two parts of the press, one to each, and form together when assembled a die structure of cruciform cross-section. The vertically disposed wings of the die structure are confined in vertical direction by press members 22 and 23 which are controlled, one by auxiliary plungers l4, l5 and |6 and the other by auxiliary plungers l1, l8 and I9; One set of auxiliary plungers is accommodated within the plungers 8, 9 and I0 respectively, and the other set within the plungers I2 and I3 respectively. The auxiliary plungers operate independently of the plungers within which they are accommodated and serve as means for ejecting the finished ingot sections fromthe dies.

For the extrusion of the defective core portion of the ingot 34 which, like the die structure, is of cruciform cross-section, there is a laterally disposed press cylinder 24 mounted on a base 26 and fitted with a plunger 25. A head 35 at the end of the plunger forms the extruding punch. It has a prismatic body portion of substantially square cross-section which fits the cross-sectional area of the die structure bounded by the wings.

Opposite the press cylinder 24, at the other side of the press, there is a press cylinder 21 mounted on a base 32. A plunger 28 in this cylinder has a head 33 which is of the same crosssection as the head 35 and which forms a counter punch. The latter projects through an aperture 33a in a counter plate 3! which is carried by plungers 29 and 30 so that it can be moved to and fro by the latter. The plate 3| and the punch 33 serve during the initial stage of the punching-process, as closing members for the dies 20, 2|, the punch 33 being subsequently retrated to allow the core to be ejected through the aperture 33a of the plate 3|. The length of the ejected core portion 36 is about one quarter to one fifth of the total length of the ingot and is of the same cross-section as the punch.

In Figs. 3 to 5a the individual steps of the method of coring, dividing, and condensing the ingot 34 are illustrated. Figs. 3 and 3a are crosssections at right angles to each other of an ingot of cruciform cross-section wherein, however, the edges and corners are strongly rounded off. The ingot, the shrinkage cone of which is shown at 3B, is placed between the dies 20, 2| as indicated in Figs. 4, 4a, with the shrinkage cone situated at the end opposite to that which faces the plunger 25. The two-part die structure is thereupon clos-ed, an operation which causes the ingot to be condensed and the shrinkage cone to be narrowed as shown at 36a. The salient edges 20b and 2|b of the dies are formed of steel bars of square or other suitable cross-section the better to resist the wear to which they are subjected. These bars may be exchangeable.

The punch 35 is thereupon driven through the ingot between the dies 20 and 2|, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the metal will be forced into the wing portions of the die structure and condensed in the latter while the defective core portion of theingot will be compressed in forward direction, the shrinkage cone taking substantially the form shown at 36b. In this operation the ingot will be divided into four sections which are free from defects and which, after the opening out of the die structure, can be ejected by means of the press members'22 and 23. In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the punch 35 is illustrated on an enlarged scale. It comprises a body portion of substantially square cross-section fitted at the front with a conical nose piece 35a having round cross-section and a rounded tip. This nose piece serves for driving the metal in lateral direction into the wings 20 and 2| of the die structure. At the opposite end of the body portion there is a truncated, pyramidal tail piece 3512 by means of which the punch head is fitted in a correspondingly shaped socket in the end of the operating plunger 25. The plunger itself is of round cross section and is formed with longitudinal grooves 25b for engagement with guide members adapted to prevent rotary displacement of the punch. The pyramidal shape of the tail piece 3519 enables the punch to detach itself readily from the plunger 25 so that it can be ejected from the press together with the extruded core portion which meanwhile has assumed the form 360 shown in Fig. 9. However, if the plunger should happen to stick to the punch, the latter can easily be ejected therefrom by means of a rod 25a which is slidably accommodated within the hollow plunger. The latter is, as shown in Fig. 7, of slightly smaller diameter than the punch head so that it can be moved through the ingot without friction.

Figs. 10 and 10ashow the form given to the ingot 34 after the condensing method has proceeded as far as shown in Figs. and 5a. Apart from the extrusion of the core portion of the ingot, the operation of the punch has the efiect of dividing the wings into separate ingot sections 31, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The top and bottom sections of the ingot are ejected from the dies by means of the press members 22 and 23 under the influence of the plungers l4, l5, l6, l1, l8 and IS.

The contracted form of press obtained by the novel arrangement, brings about a considerable saving of space. The base members 26 and 32, are mounted on supports which are let into the ground.

The embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings may be subjected to modifications within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of coring, dividing, and condensing metal and steel ingots of cruciform cross-section having the shrinkage cone at one end, consisting in compressing the ingot in hot condi tion between dies, and extruding from the ingot in the direction of the shrinkage cone, the core portion bounded by the wings thereof so as to separate said wings from one another and from the core.

2. A method of coring, dividing, and condensing metal and steel ingots of cruciform crosssection having the shrinkage cone at one end, consisting in enclosing the ingot entirely in hot condition immediately after casting, between dies of a cross-section substantially equal to but somewhat larger than that of the ingot, and forcing axially through the ingot in the direction of the shrinkage Gone a square plunger of a cross-section equal to the cross-sectional area bounded by the wing portions of the die.

3. The method claimed in claim 2 including the step of applying to the ingot, during the initial stage of the punching process, a counter punch which is coaxial with the driving punch and of the same cross-section as the latter, and retracting said counter punch to allow the extrusion of the core from the ingot.

4. The method claimed in claim 2 including the step of rounding 01f the edges and corners of the ingot.

5. The method claimed in claim 2 including the step of slightly compressing the ingot between the dies before the insertion of the punch.

IGNATZ URBANIAK. 

